Truss for relieving piles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM M. SMITH, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

TRUSS FOR RELIEVING PILES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,851, dated October 18, 1859.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, I-IIRAM MOORE SMITH, Of the city Of Richmond and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the construction of Antihemorrhoidal Pressure-Pads for the relief and cure Of piles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description Of the construction and application Of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part Of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical view, Fig. 2 a horizontal view from the front of the instru'- ment, and Fig. 3, a horizontal view from the side.

The same letters refer tO the same parts in each figure.

A is a pad which I construct Of ivory, glass or a combination Of metals Or other substances about the size and form Of half a hens egg. I now suppose this fitted directly under the anus and supporting the same. I attach tO the under and flat side of this pad two arms B B which I iind convenient to form of one piece of steel, silver or other elastic rod bent so as to form a half circle under the pad and come forward parallel to each other and about of an inch apart between the thighs for about 2% Or three inches, then they are made to diverge One to the right and the other to the left and curve spirally upward following the form Of the thigh and groin around tO a point aboutv 2 inches above and directly Over the hip joint-One over the right and one Over the left joint, at which point I attach a button, hook, or other mode Of fas tening.

For further illustration I will direct that the hooks or fastenings should occupy such a position that a perpendicular plane D will pass through both hooks and the pad, Or in other words the pad is so adjusted and balanced in conjunction with the hooks that it will retain its position under the anus when suspended by attachments to the hooks C C without other fastenings and enable the patient to take any kind of exercise Or perform manual labor. Stooping, standing, &c., are without suffering the pain caused by the enlargement of the anus in the absence of this instrument.

To use this instrument I usually apply a belt above the hips Fig. l and connect the buttons Or hooks C C to the belt by means of a common flexible strap with numerous button holes so as tO take up or let down according to the position. The patient may use cold water after evacuating the bowels and return the parts perfectly with the fingers. Then apply the pad and connect it with the belt sufficiently firm to preventl the escape of the parts so prone to come down.

I do not claim Originating an antihemorrhOidal pad, nor do I claim the manner before known of sustaining said pad by a spring around the patient with a bar passing down the back and to the pad from the rear Of the patient. But

Ihat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent as improvements in the construction Of antihemorrhoidal pressure pads isl. The manner Of sustaining such pads by means Of springs passing from the pad tO the front Of patient and in a spiral form along the groin tO a point Over the hip joints in combination with the plan Of sustaining the instrument by flexible fastenings attached above the hip joints thus making the instrument selfadjusting and enabling the patient tO exercise in any position without inconvenience.

2. The manner Of balancing the instrument by means of iexible fastenings attached over the hip joints, no matter how the arms Of the pad may be varied.

I-I. M. SMITH.

Vitnesses IsAAO S. TOWER, ISAAC T. SMITH. 

